Last Wednesday, on my way to a conference in Minneapolis, I stumbled upon at the airport a neat series of books on emotional intelligence published by Harvard Business Review. These pocket books cover many topics: influence and persuasion, difficult conversations, confidence, focus, authentic leadership, and my favorite: dealing with difficult people. I have a strong impulse to get their Ultimate Set Box of 14 books.
Learning these so called “soft skills” is crucial. Any form of career success requires working with other people effectively. I think business schools need to integrate more courses on emotional intelligence — an important skill to any aspiring captain of industry. I am suspicious though on the promise that one can increase their EQ by reading books. The truth is, these skills are the work of a lifetime of introspection and reflection. It is hard work. Nevertheless, learning a bit that sticks is still better than nothing.
HBR, please take my money.